Of Tension and Tents
by SpaceSpirit
Summary: Pre IR. Virgil's upset, Scott and John aren't coming home, Jeff has meetings, and Alan's bored. How will Gordon bring them all together? Camping, that's how. Even if nobody has the time.
1. Chapter 1

_Hi everyone! So this is based on a request that asked to expand on the camping story told in A Simple Reminder. You needn't have read that to understand this however, it should stand alone. It will be just a little one, set pre IR during the summer when the boys are in their teenage/college years. Written as a TAG fic but can easily be TOS. I don't own any of the characters, or the concept, but love it all the same._

 _ooooo_

A door slammed.

That sound – one that basically shook the whole house – was all Gordon had to hear to know that Virgil was upset.

Because Virgil didn't often _slam_ doors. Sometimes he would quietly shut it in someone's – most likely Gordon's – face, passively signifying how frustrated he was. Everybody knew the eighteen year old didn't like aggression, or conflict, and Gordon was unashamed to say he took advantage of that. If things became too much for Virg he just retreated to his space, his quiet dominion, where nobody could penetrate whatever thought was brewing in that head of his. Often he would sit in his room for hours on end with music in his ears. He'd block the world out with noise, the quiet _tish ta tish ta_ travelling through Gordon's thin walls.

Later on Virgil would emerge as though nothing ever happened. Everyone would move on. Jeff had once called him his 'low maintenance' child. Gordon didn't really understand what that meant, but since Jeff had called _him_ high maintenance, he felt he should be slightly offended.

Only recently had Virgil been visibly displaying his frustration. Because when he _slammed_ doors…oh _boy_. That's when everyone knew what was up. Virgil _wanted_ people to know he was angry. When that happened, Gordon knew not to go anywhere near his room. That was hard considering Gordon's room was practically joint to his older brothers, but _still_. If he had to walk past the door then he _tiptoed_ past.

Even Jeff tended to step warily around the door-frame in case the sight of his shadow set anything off again. Without Scott, nobody knew how to handle these rare but explosive mood swings. Except maybe Grandma. She usually barged right in with two cups of tea in her hand.

Normally, Gordon found the whole ordeal amusing.

But not now. It had been happening _far_ too often lately and Gordon was sick of it. Something had to be done.

As usual, Gordon had two options. He could shrug it off and let someone else deal with it. That was always a _good,_ safe option. _Or_ he could go in and figure out what _else_ was wrong. That was the _less_ safe option. But nobody else in this house seemed to have any interest in what was going on, so option two it was.

Leaping to his feet, the fifteen year old began the intrepid journey out of his bedroom and down the corridor. Not even bothering to think about entering Virgil's cave, Gordon knocked once. Hearing nothing, he shrugged and entered.

There were bits of paper angrily spread about the room. Gordon stepped on one as he moved forward.

It was dark – as expected. Virgil was lying on his bed – as expected. The sound of a classical tune was leaking from his headphones – as expected. Gordon gave a brief nod to nobody in particular. Why were all his brothers so _predictable_? Just once he'd like to walk in on them dressed as fruit and singing with a hairbrush. It would make life so much more interesting. The teenager cleared his throat, "and here we see a _Virgil_ in its natural habitat."

Virgil started at the noise. Sitting upright he tore the headphones from his ears, eyebrows drawing together. " _Gordon!_ You ever hear of knocking?"

Gordon got down on one knee, studying Virgil curiously. "Ah, the creature seems startled. Something has disturbed him…Perhaps he's hungry?"

"Get the hell out of here," Virgil growled. Slumping back down on his bed he grabbed his pillow and pressed it against his face in frustration.

"What's this? It appears to be hiding. Or is this some kind of strange mating ritual?" The pillow flew in Gordon's direction. He caught it triumphantly and grinned. "It appears to be getting aggressive-"

"Stop _seriously._ " Virgil snapped. He sent a soul splitting glare in Gordon's direction. "If you don't leave in five seconds you're going to be my next choice of prey. Ok? So get out."

Rolling his eyes, Gordon got to his feet. At least he was sticking with the theme. "You're so _dramatic._ What happened this time? You've been rejected from every single college in the world? You have too many achievements to fit on an application? You forgot your own _name_? It's easy, it starts with a V-"

"I said _go away_ ," Virgil growled, emphasizing each word with its own twist of venom. He waved a hand in the direction of the door. "I'm not in the mood for…" there was a pause, " _you_ right now."

Gordon let the comment slide. This idea was looking less fun by the minute. _How did Scott usually sort this out?_ "Come _on_ you lump! It's summer. We're on _holiday_. School is over for you for… _forever._ That's _awesome._ Lighten up-"

"There's nothing to be _light_ about," Virgil snapped, propping himself up with an elbow. "Not everything is sunshine and rainbows all the time Gords!"

Gordon wilted at his brother's comment. He narrowed his eyes. "At least you don't have three more years of _torture_ to go. That's like…five hundred days of Mrs O'leary breathing down my neck, or Mr Welchman putting me in detention for sneezing too loud. You've got it easy... you're gonna be _free_."

Spreading his arms out like a bird Gordon let out a wail. Man, he wished he was eighteen. Why did all his brothers make such a big deal about this process? It was _just_ college.

Virgil glared harder at him. " _Now_ who's being dramatic?"

"Let me check…ah yup, still you."

"Am I going to have to push you out of here?"

"You can try." Gordon mimed setting his feet firmly to the carpet. "Seriously brotha, what else has sent you into a spiral of self-pity? You almost broke the door with that last slam."

" _Go away._ "

" _No_."

Virgil sighed. He studied Gordon with the kind of irritation that one would feel toward a herd of sheep in the middle of the road. The effort to actually get up and push him out seemed too much for the artist, so he resigned himself to speaking. "Lizzie's really doing it."

Gordon screwed up his nose. _Yuck._ Lizzie was involved. Gordon really didn't like his brothers 'long time' girlfriend. If five months could be considered 'long time.' It probably could for Virgil because he got _really_ emotionally attached. A little clingy too, but hey, who was Gordon to judge?

Either way, Gordon didn't like her. She had a nose that resembled a mushroom and always sneered at him when she came over. Her only topics of conversation seemed to be her singing voice and the band she was in. It was boring. She was boring. Also she kept purposely mistaking Gordon for Alan. _That_ was annoying. "Doing what? Cheating on you?"

"No you idiot – studying in _England!_ " Virgil growled. "She's really going to do it. I thought she was just playing around with the idea, but now it's _true._ I thought hours apart would be bad, now it will be _countries!_ "

 _Blergh._ Put a country between Gordon and Lizzie anyway. He shrugged, "Oh. Maybe she's trying to tell you something."

Gordon's attempt at humour didn't pay off. Virgil's eyes darkened. _Oops, bad move Gordo._ He should have probably opted for the sympathetic or comforting reply. Ah well, nobody's perfect.

" _Whatever_ ," Virgil muttered. The walls were closing again. He rolled over onto his side to block Gordon out. "I know you don't really care, Gords. I'll get over it."

"I do care!" Gordon's words came out as a squeak and weren't exactly convincing. "I just don't wanna see you mopey all the time. This summers supposed to be _fun._ It's just you me and Al too!"

Virgil just sighed, shoulders slumping. Apparently that idea wasn't so appealing to him. "Just go and tell Dad that I cancelled the visit to Denver, would you?"

Gordon winced. Another touchy subject. "What, already? Why don't you tell him? And why don't you just book for another date?"

"Because he obviously didn't _care_ enough to go in the first place," Virgil's fingers scratched at his sheets. "He's so _frustrating_! He's supposed to be helping me. They all are! It's like he doesn't care where I go or what I do. It's the same with Liz, she doesn't care if we're in the same city, she doesn't even care if we're in the same _country._ I hate it." Pent-up frustration was vibrating from Virgil. His short outburst left him breathless and achingly aware of the negative words that just came out his mouth. His voice softened. "Just…just tell him would you? I don't want to talk to him right now."

Gordon hopped from foot to foot. "Neither do I really... he's in _business_ mode. Come on Virg, it's not all that bad. You can't just lie here all day. We should so something!"

"No. I have to work on my applications."

"What? That's _boring-"_

" _Gordon,_ " Virgil snipped, tone curt. _"_ If you want to annoy someone, go annoy Alan would you?"

Gordon narrowed his eyes. Charming. He wasn't aware that he had been annoying him; he was only trying to help. Gordon folded his arms across his chest. " _Fine._ Suit yourself. I'll be your _messenger_ boy."

Virgil made an unintelligible grumbling noise which Gordon took as another order to leave. Making his way out of the room, the teenager left with a heavier heart than he'd had on the way in. Virgil had been in a rut of bad moods lately, and to be honest, they were all rather warranted.

It had all started from when Scott had told them he wasn't coming home.

Gordon had been disappointed to hear his eldest brother wouldn't be visiting during the summer break, especially since they barely seen him all year. But he had his second assignment for the Air Force that was due to start in a week, so it _was_ it was sort of understandable. It had been no fault of his own. Scott was genuinely torn that he couldn't come back.

Virgil hadn't brushed it off so easily. He acted as though Scott had betrayed him. It was like if he didn't come home now, he'd never be coming home again. Gordon understood why. This summer was important for Virgil. He had college application results, college visits, college decisions, college _blah._

It was boring to Gordon and he just pretended to listen when the middle brother talked about it. The only detail he needed to know was that Virgil would be moving out. It had been a big deal when Scott left, less of a big deal with John, and now felt rather normal with their resident artist. It wasn't that they didn't _care._ They were all just better at dealing with it.

Virgil certainly seemed to take it that they didn't care. Then two days ago Jeff had dropped the bombshell that he was going to Tokyo for three weeks, coinciding right with Virgil's planned college visit dates. To make it even worse he was taking John with him. They'd only get to see the second eldest for a day before he was off again.

By that point, Gordon was annoyed too. It wasn't unusual for Jeff to take off on long business trips. Especially lately. Some grand scheme had been brewing in his father's mind, but Gordon didn't really care to ask what it was. Probably just a load of numbers. So he wasn't so much annoyed at Jeff leaving – though his timing certainly could have been better – but he _had_ been excited for John to come home.

Gordon hated seeing Virgil so upset. Even he – as second youngest – knew this was supposed to be an exciting time for him. Not stressful, or hateful, but nerve-racking and thrilling. It was their last summer together and they should be spending time with one another. But no, now Virgil was moody, Jeff and John were leaving, Scott wasn't coming back, and Alan was…well, blissfully unaware of the whole situation.

An idea that Gordon had been toying with popped back into mind. It was a childish idea. Probably selfish too. But the second youngest couldn't stand to see Virgil like this, and he certainly didn't want to put up with his moods for the rest of the summer.

He wanted to do something fun with his family. His _whole_ family. That wasn't so much to ask, was it? The last time they had all done something proper together had been over a year ago, more than that maybe, and it would do everyone some good to have a break.

Scott _technically_ had a week before assignment, right? And Jeff didn't _need_ to go on these business trips. Anything was flexible if you tried hard enough. Gordon could work around this. He always did. The only problem was getting everybody to _agree_ to the idea. Well, there was no harm in asking.

Turning himself around on the landing, Gordon leapt down the stairs two steps at a time. Their relatively small Kansas home was quiet enough for anyone to hear who was travelling up and down levels. So by the time Gordon reached his father's office, Jeff already knew who was coming. Any of the others would have paused before entering, but Gordon burst right on in.

Jeff was sat at his computer, its bright light reflecting off the lenses of his reading glasses. A stack of paper was on one side, various gadgets on the other. Blue eyes rose slowly to look at Gordon before sliding back down again. He didn't say anything, just sighed.

Gordon narrowed his eyes again. Was it offend Gordon day or something? Sheesh these people had no common curtesy. "Hi," the teenager said, purposely bright. He wiggled back and forth on the spot as though that would gain more of his father's attention.

"Hello Gordon…" Jeff replied warily, only half focusing as he went about digging through the papers by his side. It wasn't often that he was visited by his second youngest when he was in work mode

"Virgil sent me to tell you something."

Jeff lowered his head, looking over the tops of his glasses. "Is there something wrong?"

"No. He's just canceled the visit to Denver."

"Oh, well…" Jeff's frown deepened. "That's good I suppose. Has he rescheduled?"

"No. He said you don't care," Gordon replied flippantly, still grinning at nothing in particular. Disconcerting happiness was his special weapon in these sorts of circumstances.

Jeff raised his eyebrows. That got his attention. "Excuse me?"

Gordon shrugged. "He said you didn't care, so he won't reschedule. Don't blame me; I'm just the messanger guy. Or maybe that wasn't supposed to be part of the message? I dunno. He's pretty miffed about Tokyo still I think, and Scott. Anyway…what are you doing?"

The rapidity of Gordon's speech threw Jeff off guard. "I'm…well I'm working but…What's gotten into him? Did he really say that? I _do_ care I'm just busy at the moment. When I get back I'll-"

"How do you feel about camping?"

Now Jeff really was lost. "What?"

Gordon was hopping from foot to foot. Before he knew it, the teenager had darted around to his father's side, peering over his shoulder. All Gordon saw was spreadsheets. Line after line of _numbers_ that made absolutely no sense. "Looks fun," he chuckled. "You know what's actually fun? Camping. I think we should do it."

Jeff turned to face his son. It took him a moment to regain composure, fingers tapping lightly on the desk the only sign of irritation. "Well…ah, sure. Ask Virgil and see if he'll take you and Alan while we're away."

He was only agreeing to get Gordon to go away. Gordon knew that. He was very aware of when people didn't want him around, like teachers, or older brothers, or Jeff. "No, we should all go. Together. We haven't done it in ages. Where was that place we used to go?"

Jeff pinched the bridge of his nose. "Erm…Bora woods I think. Listen Gordon, I don't have time for this right now, maybe later we can talk about it-"

"We should go soon. Scott has a week before assignment right? We could fit it in," Gordon absentmindedly reached out to play with the gadgets on Jeff's desk. His fingers crawled towards his father's phone.

"Soon? No. Gordon what are you talking about? We can't. What's brought this on?" Jeff batted his hand away.

"I just think we should do something together. Like we used to. Virgil's gonna leave soon,"

"I don't need the reminder."

"…and then it will be just you me and Alan!"

Jeff's eyes rolled to the roof. "God help me…"

" _Dad._ "

"Listen, how about you and Al set a tent up in the backyard? Your Grandmother knows where all the gear is if you ask her-"

" _No._ " Gordon shook his head. "We need to go together."

"Scott doesn't have time, he's already said. He's about to go on assignment. That's _important_ -"

"Are you saying family is _not_ important?" Gordon spouted the line he'd heard from his father too many times. Something flickered in Jeff's eye. A wary flicker, a moment of indecision. Gordon knew he wanted Scott to come home as much as the rest of them. "Besides, he's got a week doesn't he?"

"That's a short time. They won't give him leave; I might remind you it is the _military._ Besides, John and I have this trip to Tokyo planned-"

"Just cancel it."

" _Excuse me?_ " Jeff's moment of wariness was gone. He was getting visibly frustrated now, lips pulled into a hard line. "I have _meetings_ Gordon. Not everyone is on holiday like you."

"Oh please, you run the company, you make your own holidays," Gordon waved him away. He knew that wasn't entirely true but something spiraled his words. "It will be easy to cancel. Here, I'll just call up Tracy Industries-" he reached for the phone again, intending just to pick it up and look for important names.

Jeff snatched it from him. " _Stop this._ I have _work_ to do. If you want to annoy someone go and annoy Alan. We can talk about this after I come back from Tokyo."

Gordon furrowed his eyebrows. Well, if this tactic wasn't going to work, he'd try for another one. Alan usually got what he wanted, and that involved whining. Maybe Gordon could whine too. "But Dad…"

"No Gordon."

"But-"

" _No._ "

"But he's _sad._ "

Jeff sighed a world weary sigh, mostly for the fact that Gordon was still standing there, but also because he _would_ like to do something with all his sons. It just wasn't feasible at the moment. Still, he'd entertain Gordon a little longer. _"Who's_ sad?"

" _Virgil,_ of course! This is supposed to be _his_ summer, a great one. But it's not. He's sad, haven't you noticed?"

"He's not sad-"

"Yes he is, and annoyed, and _angry._ So we have to do something fun with him. If he doesn't remember us as being fun and happy then he won't want to come back. _"_

Jeff tilted his head slightly at the comment. Gordon's eyes were wide and imploring, emotions open and truthful. There was never anything else with him. His statement resonated in Jeff. Virgil wasn't _truly_ upset…was he? They'd had a few arguments sure, but it was a stressful time. Then again, any sort of arguing with Virgil was a bad sign. The hardness in Jeff's expression faded. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. "Listen, I know this means a lot to you-"

"Not just to me, to everyone! Al would love to spend time with the others again. I know you were pretty angry Scott wasn't coming home too."

"No I'm not. I'm happy for him…why did you think that-?"

"I heard you on the phone."

Jeff frowned and looked at the culprit phone in his hand. "You're pretty manipulative, you know that right?"

"Yeah but I get it from somewhere."

Clicking his tongue against his teeth in thought, Jeff looked around the room. Ok…so It _had_ been a long time since the whole family had been together, and he and Virgil had been at odds these past weeks. It would be nice to spend time away from work too…but…Jeff wasn't one for spontaneity, and there was about zero chance of getting his eldest on board. Yet Gordon looked so hopeful… "I'll tell you what. You get Scott and John to agree to this and I'll _think_ about it. _Think_ , mind you."

" _Really?_ " Gordon felt excitement spill through him. That was easier than he'd thought it'd be. Maybe he should whine like Alan more. The smile on his face faltered slightly as he realised Jeff was only saying this because he didn't think he could get either Scott or John to agree. Smiling impishly, Gordon left the room. Jeff sure underestimated his fourth son's abilities.

ooooo

The phone rang twice before his brother's tired voice crackled across the airwaves. Scott tried to mask that with a cheerful greeting. Well, it was more cheerful than Virgil's and Jeff's, which was a positive. "Hey buddy – what's up? You ok?"

Gordon put up with the usual formalities before it felt right to pop the question. Well, it was less of a question. More of a statement really. "We're going to go camping, you should come."

There was a weighty pause on the other end. Empty space crackled as Scott moved the phone to a more comfortable position. "Uh…you and Al?"

"No, everyone."

"… _What?_ Since when? I thought Dad-"

Gordon lied with the ease of a professional spy. "He's canceled the trip."

"Oh," The surprise in Scott's tone barely masked the frustration. _He'd only just spoken to Jeff a few days before, why hadn't he said anything?_ "Well…that sounds great kid, but you know that I can't-"

"Yeah I know, Air Force stuff, blah. We're gonna go like tomorrow or something."

" _Tomorrow?!"_

Now Gordon was just going with it. "Maybe the next day. You should come."

"Gords...I can't." It sounded like it was physically painful for Scott to refuse.

"It will be the whole family _except you._ " Gordon knew exactly what to say to get Scott to start getting guilty. This meant he knew exactly what to say to get him to come home.

"Wait…even _John?_ "

"Yup."

"How'd you manage that?"

Gordon coughed. He hadn't yet. "John just wants to see us."

"Hey so do I! But-"

"Can't you just tell them Grandma's sick or something? To get leave?"

Worry infiltrated Scott's words. "What? Is she sick?"

"No…"

" _No_ Gordon. I'm not lying to my superiors just to-"

"We're doing it for Virgil." Gordon decided to save the kicker for last. There was nothing like mentioning the middle brother's name to get Scott hooked. The teenager wondered how Virgil would feel knowing he was being made into this excuse for him trying to get the family back together. "He's sad and stressed."

The reply was small. Even hours away and those two still knew what was going on with one another. "I know…I _wish_ I could come home, I really do-"

"Then just _do_ it." Gordon's reply was simple.

Scott took a breath. "…camping huh?"

"Yup." The thought suddenly occurred to Gordon that he wasn't sure if Virgil even liked camping. Ah well, minor details.

There was a sigh and a significant pause. "I suppose I could ask for leave…it's a bit late now though, and I'd be cutting it fine-"

Gordon smiled. One down, one to go.

ooooo

"Excuse me?"

"We're going camping. Tomorrow."

" _We're?_ As in I don't get any say in this matter?"

"Precisely."

 _"_ _We're_ as in…all of us?"

"Yup…" Gordon grinned, knowing that idea was making it even less appealing to John. "That includes me, in case you were wondering."

"And… _no_. You've got to be joking. For a moment there I thought 'we're going camping' was the worst thing I'd heard in a while. But 'we're going camping _with Gordon'_ has just brought it to a whole new level."

Gordon snorted. "Oh come on Johnny, don't be such a downer! Everyone else has agreed, now it's just you!"

"No."

"What?"

" _No._ "

"Why?"

"One, I thought I was going to Tokyo? Two, I've got work to do. Three, this is _really_ bad timing. Four, it would be more fun without me. Five, I hate camping. Six, we'd probably argue. Seven, I'd probably be arrested for fratricide afterwards if we had to share a tent-"

"What the heck is fratricide?"

"The act of killing one's brother."

"How do you _know that?_ "

"Eight, I don't own _any_ camping gear. Or camping clothes. Or general motivation for camping."

Gordon paused. "Are you done yet?"

"No, there are _many_ more reasons why I don't want to do this."

"Sweet, so we'll meet here at-"

"Gordon!"

" _John,_ I will see you here with the new camping gear you just bought. Unfortunately, money can't buy you motivation, but you're just going to have to find that along the way."

There was a beat.

John growled. "I was looking forward to a nice couple of weeks with Dad in Tokyo. I've never been to Tokyo. But now, I'm going to have to traipse through dirt, and mud, with all of _you._ "

Gordon chuckled. He knew John wasn't that disgusted, not really. "Hey, we can go stargazing."

"Pah, bribery…Are you sure Dad's agreed to this? Why hasn't he told _me_ he canceled the trip?"

Gordon didn't hesitate. He wondered when lying had become so natural to him…probably the result of having nosey old brothers. "He's been busy, asked me to pass along the message. It's pretty much all settled."

"I hate you Gordon."

"Love you too," Gordon chuckled and clicked off the phone.

ooooo


	2. Chapter 2

_Note: Hello lovelies, sorry for the relatively long wait. Thanks for the great response to the first part! Here's the next bit, I'm planning on this being around a four chapter piece - all just a bit of fun really. Enjoy!_

 _ooooo_

Alan thumped the large bag down on the table, his face reddening from the exertion of having to carry it from the barn to the house. Grandma Tracy followed after him with a bag of her own. She placed it gently down before taking a step back, arms moving to her hips in a stance of satisfaction.

The scent of mildew from the tent – packed while it was still moist and unaired for about two years – arose to fill the small kitchen. Gordon coughed and reached for the pencil neatly tucked behind his ear. "Well, the tents are definitely here…" he grinned as he checked the boxes of the final items.

Everything before them, from packs to lanterns, were well-used and worn. Each had their own peculiar aroma that had been cultivated after years of living in the barn. Still, it wasn't an unwelcome scent. Not when it was mixed with that of victory. Because Gordon had _won._

They were going camping.

Jeff didn't know this for sure yet, but again, minor details. Gordon just had to create the right situation so his father simply couldn't refuse. In fact, he believed he'd done that already.

" _Wow_ ," Alan's shoulders slumped as he studied everything he'd carried. The twelve year old had met the idea with the enthusiasm of a hyperactive squirrel. It had only been a couple of days since their school holidays had officially started, but the youngest Tracy was already claiming to be bored every ten seconds. "When's the last time we used all this stuff?"

Grandma poked one of the tents, screwing up her nose. "I don't know dear. Three years maybe…I never really thought to check on it. It is looking a little rugged isn't it?"

"A _little_ …" Alan scoffed, but the excited gleam in his eye had not been tarnished. In fact, he looked even _more_ eager than before.

"Nothing a little dusting off won't fix!" Ruth Tracy brushed herself down to prove the point. "Right, I suppose you'll be needing food too, won't you?" Shaking her head she began to mutter. "I don't know why your father didn't give me more warning. Honestly, that man is so temperamental."

Temperamental was not normally a word associated with his father, but Gordon just went with it. "Yep, I was just as surprised when he brought it up."

"Brought what up…?" Jeff's question trailed off as he entered the kitchen. Reading glasses on his forehead, mug clutched in one hand, it was clear work had overridden any more thoughts toward Gordon's idea. His eyes widened upon seeing the table laden with gear.

"Dad, dad, dad!" Alan bounced back and forward excitedly before racing over to his rather startled father. "I can't believe you're staying so we can do _this._ It's going to be so awesome! We can go on walks, and tell stories, and…and catch our own food…and whatever else you do while camping."

A frown pulled onto Alan's face as he tried to recall usual camping behavior. Jeff opened his mouth and then shut it again, looking between Gordon, blinking innocently, and a now ponderous Alan. "I…"

"Yes Jeff," Grandma Tracy began. She had started to pull pots and pans from the cupboard, huffing and grumbling now and again to prove that this was inconvenient timing. Gordon knew she was secretly pleased. An opportunity to cook was never a bad thing for Grandma; it was just a bad thing for everybody else. "This is a lovely idea. Virgil could really do with some time away to clear his head, I'm glad you're taking the initiative. I would have appreciated if you told me sooner but ah well; I'll take what I can get."

As Grandma turned her back to them, Jeff sent a glare towards Gordon. " _I'm_ taking the initiative…" he repeated quietly, barely catching up with the thread of conversation.

" _And_ we get to see Scott and Johnny as well!" The thought of this broke Alan out of his spell. Still distracted by his excitement he was unaware of the death stare his father was giving Gordon. Instead Alan just fist pumped in the air and did what could have been a piece of interpretive dance.

The death stare halted however. Jeff raised an eyebrow, forcing his tone to remain even. "…John _and_ Scott?"

"Yep that's right, he got leave remember?" Gordon smiled sweetly.

Alan was blissfully unaware of the triumphant note in Gordon's words. With his blue eyes looking so hopefully excited, and Grandma Tracy's ear always listening, there was nothing Jeff could do but agree. "Ah…yes of course. I didn't…yes-"

"I don't know how you got John to agree," Grandma tittered as she moved about the kitchen.

"No, neither do I," Eyeing Gordon with frustration, Jeff sighed heavily. Setting his mug down on the counter he appraised the gear on the table. It seemed to finally sink in that he was actually going to have to commit to this. Gordon's grin began to grow.

Alan clung to his father's arm. "Thanks Dad, this is going to be _soo_ great. When I get back to school I can tell _everyone_ about it! Benny always has the best stories in class because he goes off to different countries…like erm…France or something. But now maybe _I_ will have the best story."

Gordon snickered, wondering when camping had become such an important event in Alan's life. Then again, it was probably the idea of doing something with his whole family that made him more exuberant.

Jeff reached a hand out to ruffle Alan's hair. Eyes softening, he allowed a small smile to grace his face. That had done it. Gordon cheered internally. Jeff could never crush his youngest son's joy, even if he had been backed into a corner. "That's right kid; you can tell them _all_ about it…"

His eyes flickered towards Gordon and hardened again. Gordon met his stare. With a defeated grimace, Jeff clasped Alan on the shoulder. "But first we've got to get ready haven't we? Now how about you help your Grandmother in the kitchen while I talk to Gordon about…what we _need_."

Alan screwed up his nose but knew not to complain. As he skipped towards the kitchen, Jeff turned toward his second youngest. _"Gordon,_ " he hissed. "I said I'd _think_ about it."

"You obviously made a decision then," Gordon nodded toward the vacant spot Alan had left.

"Only because you-" Clenching his fists, Jeff struggled for the right words. He stopped, took a breath, and counted to ten in his mind.

Exhaling, his words were calmer. Anger was never a way to get anywhere with Gordon. "Did you _really_ get Scott _and_ John to agree?"

Gordon nodded. He knew it was wiser not to say anything.

"So If I called them right now, they'd be fine with it?"

Another nod.

Jeff sighed as realization dawned. "If I called them right now they'd think _I_ came up with this plan, won't they?"

Gordon grinned.

Planting the palm of his hand against his forehead, Jeff squeezed his eyes shut. "You know, sometimes I wonder who runs this house. Because it certainly isn't me."

"No it's Grandma."

Jeff grunted. He reached out to place two hands firmly on Gordon's shoulders. "You want to be in charge? Then you get to be in charge. I'll expect an itinerary to be on my desk in an hour."

Gordon straightened up and felt excitement flitter through him. "Wait…really? Then we are going?"

"How exactly am I supposed to refuse _now?_ " Though Jeff's mouth was stilled pulled thin, and his gaze was stern, the glimmer of amusement in his eyes was unmistakable.

Gordon jiggled excitedly, only held to the same spot by his father's hands.

"Now…have you even _told_ Virgil?"

"Er…not yet. I had to _know know_ before I told him."

"But you didn't have to 'know know' before you told everybody else?"

"Ah…no?"

"Right," Jeff stared drearily back towards his office. "You do realise I'm actually going to have to cancel these meetings now, don't you?"

"I'll do it for you if you want-"

" _No_ you _won't_. I'll do that and then call the boys" Jeff squeezed his son's shoulders. "You'll tell Virgil. Afterwards I really do want you to start organizing everything. Ok? Come to my office and we'll make a list."

Gordon pulled his arm away and mock saluted his father. "Yes Sir!"

Jeff rolled his eyes and with a loud sigh, turned back towards his office. Smiling like a maniac Gordon bounced his way up the stairs. Things were going _precisely_ how they were meant to.

ooooo

Virgil lay staring up at his ceiling. "I hate camping."

Ok maybe not precisely how they were meant to. Gordon's whole world seemed to pause. This was _not_ part of the _plan._ " _What_? No you don't?"

"Yes I _do."_

 _"_ _Since when?"_

"I don't know, I just do," Virgil snapped. His hair was askew and there seemed to be a permanent frown etched onto his face. Gordon grimaced. When Virgil sulked he _really_ went for it. "I've got things to do anyway, do I have to go?"

"Do you have to –" Gordon stopped, affronted by the statement. Did Virgil know how much effort this had taken? A couple hours of his convincing eloquence was wasted if Virgil didn't _want_ to go. "Virg, you obviously take fashion inspiration from lumberjacks. Therefore, you love camping."

It was Virgil's turn to reel back. " _Lumberjacks?_ I don't look like a – and hey, what's that got to do with camping?"

"Lumberjacks like wood. You look like one. _You_ like wood. Camping involves trees…or _woods_. Ta da!"

"That makes _no_ sense."

"You make no sense."

" _Gordon!_ Get out of here will you!" Virgil rolled off his bed to jump to his feet, physically backing Gordon towards his door.

"But Virg! It's going to be _fun._ "

"Yeah, you said that already."

Gordon planted his feet firmly on the ground, refusing to be budged by his ever growing older brother. "You _have_ to come. Dad's cancelling the trip so he and John can make it."

"Well _why_ couldn't he cancel it so he could make it to my visit huh?" Giving up on herding Gordon out of his room – because really, he was just a softie at heart – Virgil resorted to folding his arms across his chest.

Gordon raised a finger in answer but had to stop for a moment. Ah, good point. Thinking on his feet he said the first thing that came to mind, "he's re-booking when we get back. I guess he felt really bad or something…"

Virgil was unimpressed. "Gords, you're a terrible liar."

" _What?_ Nobody else thinks that."

"I know you too well."

Gordon nodded in admittance. True. He put on a frown. "Aw come on Virg! He's trying here," _I'm trying here._ "We just want to do something fun with you, that's all."

Biting his lip Virgil let his insecurities shine. "… _really_?"

"Yup, absolutely," Gordon nodded. Gee Jeff owed him a lot. He'd be able to use this to get out of dishes for at _least_ a week. It wasn't that Jeff was a bad father at all – he just put _way_ too much faith in Virgil being able to handle all this on his own. "And you'll get to spend time with _us_ before you go! Even better right?"

Virgil's nose scrunched slightly. The corners of his lip twitched. "Hmm…that's one word for it."

"We _really_ need you there…to like, chop wood or something."

" _Chop wood_? I _don't_ dress like a lumberjack Gordon!"

"No, you just really like plaid."

"Shut _up._ "

Chuckling, Gordon nudged his brother's arm. "…So you'll come, right?"

Grumbling, Virgil threw out his arms. "Oh _whatever_. Just as long as I don't have to share a tent with you."

Grinning, Gordon nodded. "Deal."

ooooo

Gordon and Alan walked side by side toward the clearing. Each had a hefty pack of supplies on their back, feeling like intrepid explorers as their feet crunched across the needled ground. Alan – renowned for packing light due to both his forgetfulness and invincible attitude – was wearing only a thin t-shirt and shorts. That was all he would have taken if he had his way. Gordon had done his job as 'camp organizer' well however, and repacked his brothers things to make sure he wouldn't freeze to death.

It was a small clearing with a pathway leading to a bush track. That track then led to various campsites along the way. Alan didn't understand that. "Daaad," the youngest swiveled around to face their father. "This is a strange place to camp. It's barely off the road."

Jeff chortled and shook his head. It was weird for Gordon to see him back in his old hiking shorts and boots. Like the camping gear, they too hadn't been used for years. But there was something about getting outdoors that made Jeff more lighthearted. Gordon knew he wasn't really a business man at heart; it just turned out that way. Jeff smiled an infectious smile that made his eyes crinkle. "We have to walk there first Al, don't you remember this place?"

Alan looped his thumbs through the straps on his pack. He looked around and shrugged. "Nope, should I?"

Jeff's smile faltered. There was a hint of sadness, even regret, to his words. "You were too young I suppose. Virgil, you remember don't you?"

Virgil's eyes rolled towards his father. He dug his hands into the sweatshirt he was wearing and shrugged. It seemed Virg had taken Gordon's fashion judgement to heart. "I guess so." Tone wary and frustrated, Virgil's mood had not improved since the day before.

There was a pause as Jeff studied his son. It was like he was looking at him for the first time in a while. He opened his mouth to say something more but stopped, forehead creasing. Gordon interrupted. He would _not_ allow bad feelings to infiltrate this trip…not this early on at least. "I remember! We used to play that counting game."

"What counting game?" Alan's eyes lit up at the word 'game'.

Somebody else did not share that feeling.

"Oh _no,"_ there was a skid of feet against dirt. The four Tracys turned in time to see John – as tall and lanky as ever – turning around and apparently walking back the way he came. Next to him Scott was looking mildly amused. John's words carried behind him. "They said _game._ I'm _out_."

"John! Scott!" Alan practically screamed. He forgot the pack on his back and attempted to race towards his older brothers. It weighed him down, almost making him fall, but determination propelled Alan forward.

"Woah there kid!" Scott laughed as he was enveloped in his youngest brother's arms. The pilot sent his easy smile towards the rest of the family over the top of Alan's head. Gordon felt excitement race through him on seeing his brothers. It was like they hadn't been away at all.

Virgil was apparently experiencing _many_ emotions. His face twisted between astonishment and frustration, which wasn't exactly the desired result. He turned to Gordon, "you didn't tell me _Scott_ was coming!" he hissed.

"I didn't think it was important," Gordon retorted.

Virgil hmphed to himself, unsure whether to be pleased, or upset, or angry, or _anything._ He just didn't know what to feel. Emotions were annoying and he wished he didn't feel them at _all._

Grinning broadly – almost in relief – Jeff strode to greet his eldest sons. Alan had let go of Scott and managed to stop John before he actually left. Grabbing Virgil's arm, Gordon tugged him toward the rest of the family. This _was_ for him after all. Even if he didn't really believe it.

"Hi Virgil," John was attempting to detach an overexcited Alan from his arm. He waved the other arm in greeting and offered a small smile. Virgil returned it, but it seemed that was all he was going to get. John ignored Gordon entirely – which was a traditional reception between the two.

Scott just went straight for the hug. He practically lifted Gordon into the air as he did so before moving onto Virgil. The middle brother froze for a moment, still trying to decide whether he wanted to be angry or not. Scott sensed this, "Hey man; you've got a lot to catch me up on."

"Err…yeah, yeah…" Virgil pulled away, too stunned to get his thoughts in order. "So do _you,_ I mean…yeah wow. What are you…what are you _doing here?_ "

Scott blinked in confusion. "Ah…camping?"

"No I mean…" Virgil looked around and realised nobody else was surprised. Ok, so this _was_ for him. He shook his head. Scott had said he _couldn't_ come home. Yet here he was…There was no way Virgil could be angry with him. Annoyed maybe, but that was drowned out by the pleasure of seeing his brother. Still, he held that back, eyes dropping to the ground. "Right."

Scott raised an eyebrow and scanned his brother. Those eyes took in every crinkle in Virgil's clothes. Gordon was sure that within the space of five seconds he would understand more than the rest of them did. That's just how Scott worked.

So Gordon let him decipher that, turning to John instead. The second eldest was still reluctantly attached to a bubbly Alan. "Hey Johnny! Long time no see. I must say, you are looking quite outdoorsy today."

"If by outdoorsy you mean homeless, then I think so too," Scott quipped, sending a grin towards his closest brother. John glared at him.

Gordon laughed. "Oh Scott you are _ruthless._ Did you dye your hair by the way? It looks good, kind of suave."

Scott tilted his head. "No? Hey, don't I always look suave?"

"Yeah, chuck on a suit and we've got a barkers model," Gordon couldn't pinpoint what was different about his brother but it was _something._ "You look younger."

"Uh…thanks?"

"Maybe you're de-aging. Is that a thing John? Can people de-age?"

John shot him a look. "No Gordon. Thoughts like that will fry your brain."

"That's why you don't get them. Your brain is already fried."

"Oh _really_?"

"Yeah," Gordon turned to Virgil. He was being awfully silent, still not looking up from his feet. "Come on, back me up here Virg, we're not exactly dealing with the brightest star in the sky are we?"

Virgil allowed himself to smile. "No I believe that spot would be reserved for you."

Gordon winked at him. " _Precisely_."

Jeff, looking fed up and wary already, shot a withering glare towards his son. "Gordon, it's been about two seconds and you're already insulting everyone."

"I'm setting the tone for the whole trip, right?"

The others laughed. Gordon smiled; it had been a long time since he'd heard all their laughs together.

Gordon suffered through the usual formalities of greeting – all that _how's_ _college_ talk that he had no interest in. Scott was brief, already enveloped in way too much concern for the silent Virgil, while John attempted to give them all a lecture on astrophysics. Jeff and Alan seemed keen to actually listen, but Gordon interrupted before it could kick off. He pointed a hand toward the path shooting off from the clearing. "Ok guys, as your official camp manager we are-"

Scott stopped him. "Wait, who put you in charge?"

John grimaced. "There's still time for me to leave right?"

Gordon placed his hands on his hips in insult. Well, it was nice to know that his brothers trusted him. "Dad did."

"Dad did?"

" _Why?_ "

Jeff shrugged. "Honestly, I don't remember."

Gordon grunted and elected to ignore them. They had no faith. " _We're_ heading that way. We'll stop at that spot near the river and set up camp. Then we can _swim_ and chill. Tomorrow Alan and I have planned a hike around that area. This weekend is going to be super _awesome_ so get excited."

"A _hike?_ " John pouted, sharing a dreaded look with the ground. Because really, no one else was that bothered by this news. "Gords, I don't know where you get your energy from."

Scott chuckled and patted John on the shoulder in sympathy. "He gets it from nature. Like a plant, absorbing all the energy from the sun."

Gordon nodded. "Brother mine, that is _entirely_ true. We can play the counting game while we walk, you'll love it even more Johnny."

John grumbled and muttered something about Tokyo. Scott on the other hand, looked up in excitement. He, out of all of them, remembered previous camping trips the best. "Hey, I remember doing that!"

"Doing what? What do you _do?_ " Alan whined, hating to be left out of anything.

"Well you each get a number…like I would be one. Every now and then I'd call it out and then you all follow on with your numbers. Just to make sure everyone's still there," Scott explained. "It's like a safety thing."

Alan stared at his brother, waiting for the 'fun' part to be revealed. "…Is that _It?_ "

"Uh…yeah pretty much," Scott shrugged. He shared an amused glance with Jeff who was standing off to the side. "It was more fun when were little."

"Yeah – well we're not kids. If we get lost, I think we're going to know," Virgil said with a frown.

Scott wrapped an arm around Virgil's shoulder. "Oh come on! Where's your sense of nostalgia? Besides I don't trust John to know when he's lost."

" _Hey_!"

"Yeah Virg, don't ruin the fun!" Gordon grinned, enthused by how thrilled he was feeling at being back together. "I get to be number four!"

"You already are number four Gordo," Scott snorted. "I'm one, John's two-"

"I want to be three!" Alan interrupted loudly, breaking free from John's arm. Instead he jumped in the middle of the 'brother circle', forgetting his momentary disappointment at the game. "I _hate_ always being number five."

"Ok, you and Virg can swap-"

" _I_ don't want to be number five," Virgil said, forgetting his disdain. His voice seemed to rise an octave in disgust at being thrown to the end. Gordon chuckled at the fact they clearly _were_ still children. "That's not fair."

"Ok well Gordo could-"

"No, I'm four!"

"Well-"

"Oh _god_ , I'll be five ok?" John looked as though he was ready to tear his hair out. "Virg can be two, Al can be three. There, are we done? Are we going to _go_ now?"

They all laughed at John's exasperation. Even Jeff joined in with a hearty chuckle, mentally storing this exchange. "Yes John, I do believe we can go now-"

"Wait!" Alan yelled. Gordon winced. He swore he saw a couple of birds fly out of the trees at the noise level. "What's Dads number?"

Jeff's eyes gleamed fondly. "I don't need one. I think you'd notice if I went missing."

Gordon threw out his hands. "Do you mean to say you _wouldn't_ notice if one of us went missing?"

"I'd _pretend_ not to notice if it was you."

"Wow, thanks Dad."

"No problem kid…now let's get to this campsite. Those clouds are looking awfully dark. You did check the weather report, didn't you Gordon?"

ooooo

It was only when they got to the campsite that Gordon realised why Jeff had such reservations about taking his sons camping again. Nothing ever seemed to go smoothly with family outings.

They had reached a large round clearing that veered away from the track. It was guarded by tall trees and thick bush, and was set up to look completely natural. Of course, it _was_ actually man made but Gordon tried to ignore that. There were lots of spots like these along the tracks for those that wanted to hike the whole thing, but at the moment they were the only ones to occupy this one. It was situated right next to a picturesque river, one that was calling Gordon towards it in all its glittering glory.

With only two tents, this should have been easy, yet for the past hour they had been attempting to put them up. As capable as all his brothers were, apparently they were no match for archaic canvas and ripped instructions. Gordon was wandering between groups to try and help, though really just finding the whole situation amusing.

"Where on earth does this one go?" Jeff, who was usually very adept practically, held up a large bendy pole in confusion. He studied the small round tent he and Alan were trying to put up. At the moment it didn't look anything _like_ a tent. More like a blanket fort.

Alan, who was holding the instructions, narrowed his eyes. Then they widened. Then they narrowed again. He shifted the paper and sighed. "Oh man…that was supposed to go on _before_ everything else."

Jeff swung the pole around to tap Alan on the head. He laughed. " _Really_? Are you sure you have the instructions the right way up this time?"

"Hey! I didn't ask to be on instruction duty!"

"I'm not sure I'd trust you on putting up duty either."

" _Dad,_ " Alan pouted. His glorified idea of camping growing dismal with all the hard work. " _N_ ow we have to take it back down and start again."

Sighing, Jeff sent Gordon an amused glance. "Well, at least that's my favourite part."

Gordon smiled and quickly moved away before he could be roped into any of the work. John and Scott appeared to be having just as much trouble with the other tent. The instructions had been discarded and now the two eldest were just throwing poles in random spots. Gordon bounded towards them. "What are you _doing?_ "

John glared at him "this tent smells like old people. It also has a hole in it. Which means we just have to hope it doesn't rain." His eyes flickered toward the sky and he cringed. The dark clouds were looming and ever present, enough to dampen John's mood.

Gordon gave an evil chuckle. "It _does?_ I didn't notice…Or perhaps I did it on purpose?"

"I vote that you and Al can go in this one." Scott said, stamping a peg into the ground with his foot. "You love water anyway, don't you champ?

"Oi, one of you oldies will have to come in too."

John and Scott looked at one another. "Virgil," the younger stated. "I vote Virgil."

"Nope, I made a deal with him that we wouldn't."

"…Dad?" John offered warily.

Gordon rolled his eyes. "Hey, maybe we could all just squeeze into one tent?"

John glared. "No _way._ "

Scott chuckled. "I'd die."

Gordon patted them both on the shoulder. He felt like camp leader. "Well, keep up the good work fellas I'm just going to check on-" Gordon paused, seeing that Virgil had made no progress in gathering wood for the fire. In fact, he was lying on the ground on the opposite side of the clearing, watching the sky.

So much for being a lumberjack then. "Ah…" he tilted his head. "Oh _man_. I thought this would work."

"What would work?" John asked, before following Gordon's line of sight. He sighed. "Oh, right, _this._ He's been like that a lot recently?"

"Uh-huh."

"Do you know why?"

Gordon absentmindedly moved forward to help his brother shift one of the poles. "Well I don't know. First it was worry that he wouldn't get into a good college, then it was you guys not coming home, then it was Dad, then it was…" Gordon repressed a shudder. " _Lizzie_ and her stupid studying abroad. I thought doing this would help, but he's _sad_ still."

"Hmm girl problems huh?"

Gordon shrugged. It felt too trivial to place Virgil's mindset down to just 'girl problems.' "Mainly you guys I think. I don't know."

"Well we're here _now_ ," John said dryly. "It's not making much difference." He gazed wistfully at Virgil before shrugging. The second eldest had never been very good with emotion. "He'll pull himself out of it. He always does."

"I guess…" Gordon rubbed his foot into the grass. He just didn't want Virgil to be _unhappy_ before he left. He wanted to help him somehow. After all, happiness was Gordon's forte.

An arm snaked around Gordon's shoulder as Scott drew him closer. He held that laid-back grin and effortless confidence well, putting Gordon at ease. "Don't worry about it bud, I've got this. I know what's up."

"…you do?" Gordon twisted upward to look at his brother. _How could he possibly know what's up after so much time away?_

Scott lifted an eyebrow. "Of _course_. I'll talk to him, don't worry. Leave it to your big brothers to suss out."

Gordon shifted uncomfortably, feeling like both his brothers were brushing off Virgil's problems as being something insignificant. Then again, he should have faith in Scott. That guy knew what he was doing. It _would_ be nicer for Gordon to have this weight off his mind and just enjoy himself... "I'm glad you guys are here, you know."

"It's not like we had much choice in the matter," John drawled, though Gordon didn't miss the small smile thrown in his direction.

ooooo

The campfire was a blaze of red and orange light, crackling away against the night sky. Stars twinkled off in the distance. Gordon loved how John stared at them, lost in a world of his own. The air was getting colder now so they all sat close to the flames, every now and then a droplet would fall from the sky.

After more fruitless trying they had _finally_ got the tents up. The older boys had laid claim to older one on the terms that they didn't have to share with the tinies. Jeff, Gordon and Alan were booted to the upgraded tent but Jeff still believed he had got the worst deal out of everyone.

They had filled the afternoon with activities of various sorts. Gordon and Alan had been the only ones to brave the river. Scott spent most of the time chatting with Jeff on the portable chairs they had brought, both watching the river fondly. John was always close by with a book in hand. Virgil wandered, somewhat lost, but never drifted so far that his presence was gone. At one stage he had joined John with his own book, and the two of them sat by one another in comfortable silence.

Eventually Gordon had managed to rope his older brothers into a game of extreme Frisbee which resulted in a lot of hilarity, arguing, and a very disgruntled John.

Now all was calm. Alan had his head on Jeff's shoulder, something he hadn't grown out of doing since he was young. Virgil sat next to Scott, with a little more space between them than there would be usually. Gordon was stretched glamorously out on the ground by John's feet.

Scott, with a marshmallow in his mouth, was telling the story of the time he got stuck in an elevator. "So the old man – who I swear was about ninety – was the only one of us that hadn't passed out by the end of it. Well, apart from me of course. It was insane."

"So you were in there for _six_ hours?" Alan stared in awe at his brother like he had just found the Holy Grail.

"Yeah pretty much."

Virgil shot him the _you don't impress me_ look. "You didn't exactly do anything heroic. You were just stuck in a box for a while."

Scott leant back and frowned. "Yeah and I _survived_. Think you could handle that?"

Virgil thought on it for a moment. "Yes. Well, if I had music maybe…"

"I could do it!" Alan's head shot up from Jeff's shoulder. Whenever there was a challenge of strength or endurance he was always out to prove he would be on top. "Especially if everyone was friendly. You could make friends with them, or play games, it would be _easy._ "

"But Alan…" Jeff chimed in with a serious tone. "There wouldn't be any… _food._ "

Alan nudged his father in irritation. Scott gasped playfully. "Oh no. He's out."

"It's only six hours," Gordon objected, conveniently placing three more marshmallows into his mouth. "You wouldn't starve."

Alan poked his tongue out at Gordon, "you probably would."

John's quiet words were barely audible over the crackling of the fire. "Once, I saw a movie where people were stuck in an elevator and one of them was the devil."

There was silence. Silence occasionally followed John's statements because nobody knew how to answer them.

"I think I might have seen that." Virgil said slowly, turning to his brother. "Is that the one set in Philadelphia?"

John shrugged. "It's the one where everyone dies."

"Oh yeah. It's good as a horror but sucks where the storyline is concerned. I always think that movies praise visuals over story these days. It's kind of sad."

John nodded In agreement. The rest of them all shared a look of confusion. Jeff cleared his throat and directed his comment toward John. "Since when did you like horrors?"

"Since…always?"

"Huh…" Jeff looked bewilderment. "I never would have pegged you for that."

Rolling his eyes at the similar bemused expressions on his brother's faces, John turned back to Virgil. "We could have a marathon when we get back home. After all, I've got two more weeks to fill. We should make a night out of it."

Virgil blinked in surprise. For John to suggest – and not have to be dragged into – a social event was pretty groundbreaking. "Oh…ok?"

Gordon rose from his lying place and smoothly maneuvered himself into sitting position. "Yuck _._ I don't do freaky guys stabbing things, or tying people up, or devils in elevators."

"No you do rom-coms instead." Scott teased, throwing a marshmallow at his brother's head. Gordon caught it and threw it back, Scott miraculously managing to catch it in his mouth.

"There's nothing wrong with a good rom-com," Gordon defended. The others laughed. Even Virgil managed a thin smile. Gordon's beam faded. It was like Virg wouldn't _let_ himself have fun, and Gordon didn't like it.

"Any more stories?" Alan asked, rocking back and forward due to a mixture of excitement and sugar.

"You go ahead Al," Scott encouraged, though he stifled a yawn behind his hand. Considering the fact he had flown in that morning, it was understandable.

"Nah I'm bad at storytelling, Benny at school _always_ gets bored when I tell stories."

"Hey you're not bad!" Scott was quick to jump to his defense.

"Nah, they just go on _way too_ _long_ ," Gordon said frankly.

Jeff and Scott glared at him. Virgil smirked. John's foot collided with Gordon's back. Alan just shrugged indifferently, he knew it was true. "Tell us more college stories. They're funny."

"Oh yeah, like that one where you woke up covered in glitter, or in that tree-" Gordon paused as Scott began miming for him to be quiet. Eyes sliding to Jeff's now _very_ curious face, Gordon instantly understood. "Or was that me?" he corrected awkwardly. "Or did I _dream_ that?"

Scott barely held back a laugh. "Definitely a dream Gords. I don't know _what_ you're talking about."

Jeff rolled his eyes. "What I don't know won't kill me."

"Virg will be able to tell us college stories soon too," Alan leant closer to his father and yawned. Virgil paled at the mention of this, turning his face away from the light of the fire. Unaware, Alan continued. "Gordo won't. He won't go to college."

Laughter burst from Jeff at the unexpected comment. Scott looked offended on behalf of his brother. "Hey!" Gordon chuckled at the very serious look on Alan's face. "Just because I can't do astrophysics doesn't mean I'm not smart. Besides, I'll be too busy swimming my way to _gold_."

"Yeah _right_ ," Alan snorted.

For the next half an hour they sat together and talked, though it was mainly Alan doing the talking. Everybody else was just content with one another's company. They were all getting steadily more tired and staring into the hypnotizing flames was not helping.

When a steadier fall of rain began to leak from the sky, Virgil was the first to get to his feet. "I think I might get some rest…" he trailed off slowly, looking around at his family, mesmorising how their faces looked, doused in the dying light of the fire.

"Yup, get ready for a day of _adventure_ tomorrow!" Gordon enthused, hoping some of it would rub off on Virgil.

The middle brother nodded and forced a smile. Scott pushed himself upward as well and said his goodnights. John was quick to follow. That made Gordon feel a little more at ease, knowing that Virgil was with them. But he couldn't stop the strange worry that was niggling inside of him.

"Do we have to go to bed," Alan asked, eyes already closed, words practically a whisper.

Jeff patted him on the shoulder. "You're going to need energy for tomorrow apparently, so I think the answer is yes."

Gordon wrapped his arms around himself and nodded. "That's right Al, we'll need to be up nice and early as well to make the most of the day."

Jeff's smile morphed into a frown. "…you're not _planning_ anything, are you?"

" _Dad!_ " Gordon snorted. "You really don't trust me, do you?"

Jeff got to his feet and offered Alan his hand. "Not when I have to be in such close quarters with you."

Gordon rolled his eyes. Why was everyone in this family so over-dramatic? "You do realise this is what it's going to be like _all_ of next year?"

"We won't be in tents though Gords," Alan giggled tiredly at the thought. Leaning on his father, they made their way towards the little tent.

Gordon smiled. He followed after them just as the rain began to pour.

ooooo


	3. Chapter 3

_Just one more after this one – sorry again for slow updates, next one should be faster! Thanks for the feedback x_

ooooo

John, Scott and Virgil got ready in a tired silence. The sound of rain rhythmically patterning the roof would have normally been comforting, but John was not cheered at all. Rain meant _mud_ , damp tents, and cold morning dew to wake up to. He sighed as he rolled out his sleeping bag. It was a very musty one and faded in colour, no doubt designated to him by Gordon the dictator. The other two had been granted relatively new ones. John narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

Virgil had claimed the central spot and was now wedging himself onto the small stretcher. It was a tight fit for the middle brother who seemed to have broadened since John had last seen him. Clambering tentatively inside the old sleeping bag, John sidled himself down on his own camp bed. It was easier for him to fit with his thinner build, but his feet still dangled off the end awkwardly. Virgil's arms touched both Scott and John's beds. He tried to make himself smaller by hunching his shoulders, but it was no use.

Scott snorted. "I think the tent shrunk." It was strange for John to see Scott —now an Air Force pilot—cocooned in his sleeping bag like a child. Shuffling down, he shot his younger brothers a pleased grin. "I forgot how comfy these things were."

Virgil pulled his sleeping back up to his neck. He yawned, "Maybe you'll get addicted to camping."

"I doubt it," Scott chuckled. His face morphed from one of enjoyment to disgust as he looked up at the roof. "Especially since there are about ten thousand bugs above us right now."

John followed his brother's line of sight. Sure enough, small black dots scattered the canvas roof, illuminated by the dim light of the lantern. "Yeah we're probably going to eat some of those in the night."

"Thanks for that John."

"No problem."

Scott switched off the camp light and they were covered in darkness. Only the sound of crickets and the call of night birds could be heard. Ah, it was blissful. John closed his eyes. If only he could see the stars. Then he might actually start enjoying himself.

A melodramatic shriek on Alan's part broke the silence. It made Virgil and Scott bolt upright, all ready to go to the aid of their youngest brother. Loud laughter from Gordon indicated that the youngest Tracy was not being murdered. Scott breathed out in relief, flinging himself back down onto his bed. Virgil did the same.

"That kid's a menace," Scott uttered fondly, turning his head to look at the both of them.

"Couldn't agree more," Virgil said. He pulled his earphones out of nowhere and plugged them into his ears. Eyes closing, he uttered a single word, "night."

Scott's face fell like a child at a slumber party whose friends had all gone to sleep. He opened his mouth to say something, then appeared to think better of it. John wasn't sure what he was expecting. Virgil wasn't exactly the type to emotionally spill all his feelings at the first chance they got. Shrugging it off, Scott muttered his own goodnights and tried to get comfortable.

John said nothing. It was very clear Virgil wanted to avoid any discussion of College, girls, or whatever problems had been plaguing him since the summer had started. If that meant avoiding talking to older brothers, than that was fine.

John closed his eyes again. _Blissful, remember? Just picture the stars and listen to the sounds of the owls. Nature is much better than Tokyo anyway, right? Right._ Sighing contently, he started to believe it for a moment.

Then he felt a drip splash onto his face.

Eyes flinging open, John looked around. Did he imagine that?

 _Drip._ Nope, not imagined.

 _Drip._ Right. There was a hole in the tent.

 _Drip._ Of course _he_ had to be right beneath it.

 _Drip._ It couldn't have been Scott, or Virgil, _no_ , it had to be _John._

 _Drip._ Gordon probably planned this as well.

John was ready just to lie there and allow himself to be dripped on all night. That was probably a bad idea, but there was no way he was moving tents. Toying with the idea of asking Scott to swap places with him, John just ended shuffling himself further down the stretcher. Now his legs curved over the end of it, but at least he didn't have water dripping on his face.

No, now the water was dripping onto the stretcher, and any moment now it would make its way down the back of his neck. _Perfect._ John sighed. Was it still better than joining Gordon and Alan? Probably.

Soon, Scott's soft snores combined with the sound of the rain. A frail tune was barely audible from Virgil's headphones. As his breathing evened out too, John knew he was the only one left in the land of the conscious. That didn't bother him all that much. A night owl at heart, John had spent many hours on his own while everyone else slept. The silence was peaceful, it always had been.

Rhythmic pounding of the rain and the heavy breathing of slumbering brothers soon lulled John into a sense of false security. Eyelids growing heavy, thoughts slowing down, sleep was just about to catch him when the sound of footsteps entered his drifting mind.

Eyes fluttering open, John watched as a mysterious shadow — shaped like Gordon — made its way around to the front of the tent. Groaning inwardly, John wondered if he was about to catch his younger brother in the act of some sort of trick. The zip on the tent was opened slowly and a silent teenager stepped into the temporary abode.

Gordon's hair was wet just from the short trip between tents. His white t-shirt was stuck to his skin, bare feet and flannel pants dragging loose pieces of grass in with them. His face fell drastically upon seeing his brothers sleeping. It was like they had ruined his master plan. Standing still, Gordon just watched them for a moment before turning to leave.

"What are you doing?" John asked in his usual indifferent tone. Well, it wasn't his _usual_ tone. But it was his usual tone for Gordon.

Gordon's swiveled, eyes lighting up. He stepped carefully around Virgil's stretcher to stand at the foot of John's bed. "I thought you'd be doing fun stuff, so I came to join…but you're all just _sleeping._ Why? That's _boring._ "

"As you get older sleep becomes the most fun possible," John responded dryly, keeping his voice low as to not wake the others. "What did you expect us to be doing? A séance?"

Gordon snorted. "Something to do with fruit and hairbrushes."

" _What_?"

"Nothing."

There was a silence as Gordon hovered awkwardly. John blinked up at him from his bed. "Dad will freak out if he wakes up and you're not there."

"Dad is _snoring_. Loudly. Alan was asleep before we even got into the _tent_. They won't notice."

"…does that mean you intend to _stay?_ "

"Don't sound so horrified."

"Hmm, yeah well sorry; you can't stay here unless you're older than twelve."

"I _am_ older than twelve you jerk."

"Since when?"

"Three years ago. I know you're stupid John, but come on."

John rolled his eyes in vexation. That was silent John speak for _go back to the other tent and let me sleep._ Gordon understood that, but with that _stupid_ grin of his, he climbed onto John's stretcher. Attempting to lie down next to his brother, Gordon just ended up almost tipping the whole thing into the side of the tent.

"Gordon, what are you doing – _gross_ you're _wet_ ," John shuffled the other way to balance it out and stop them from falling. Gordon's legs were on top of his, and his elbow dug into John's side, but there was no way John was moving the lanky teenager. It seemed that sometimes Gordon forgot how old he was too, and how much he had grown. "Get off _me_."

Chuckling at John's disgust, Gordon just wiggled his shoulders in excitement. "Isn't this great?"

"…no."

"Not _this_ specifically, I mean camping. All of us together. Isn't it awesome?"

"No?"

Gordon nudged him sharply.

"Ow! Ok, it's nice. There, you happy?"

Gordon's smile was quickly washed away by the droplet of water that splashed onto his face. He looked toward the roof of the tent in personal offense. A cackle escaped him as his eyes flickered between the hole and John. "Hey, you got the leaky side!"

"I'm very aware of that."

"That's excellent _."_

An unwilling smile tried to break its way onto John's face. "No sympathy? What a _surprise_. Sometimes I think you really don't like me."

"It's true," Gordon wriggled his eyebrows playfully. There was a pause as John pretended to be offended. Gordon poked his brother in the side. "Just kidding. I don't like not having you at home."

"Oh yeah? I'm sure you don't notice all that much."

"I do so!"

"Why, because there's nobody to help you with your homework?"

"Basically, yeah."

John rolled his eyes again, affectionately this time. He knew what Gordon was trying to say, and he didn't need to elaborate. "I miss you too kid." John freed his arm from being pinned at his side and looped it behind his brother's shoulders. It wasn't often that John initiated physical contact. He rarely even liked hugs. But he did know that Gordon was a very physical person. Occasionally, even John gave in to what his little brothers wanted.

It wasn't a lie either. John did miss Gordon when he was away. Well, he missed _all_ his brothers, though he'd never admit that. It was just that he and Gordon had a strange relationship that revolved around insults, bad puns, and a fundamental understanding of one another. They were as different as any brothers could be, which was what made them so compatible. John didn't have to think when he was around Gordon. He rather liked not having to think once in a while.

"Don't call me kid."

"But you're twelve?"

A fist hit his shoulder. "Shut _up_ Mr Astrophysics."

"That's not an insult."

There was a momentary pause. Gordon turned his face toward John's, any trace of a smile vanished. "I don't like not having Scott home either…It's going to be strange when Virgil goes."

John raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in disposition. It wasn't a surprise to him that Gordon didn't like them moving out, he had always been very family oriented. It did, however, only just occur to John that organizing this camping trip might mean as much to Gordon as it did Virgil. "It will be strange at first," he said quietly. "But you'll get used to it."

Gordon shifted his eyes away. "I don't know… I'm still not used to _you_ leaving."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. When you go up to space it will be even longer."

John smiled at the 'when'. There was no doubt in Gordon's mind about his brother going up to space. His faith was unwavering. John attempted to turn onto his side so he could face him. "I'll let you in on a secret…you can't repeat this or I'll tell them about that time you climbed off the roof at midnight and almost broke your ankle."

"I think you mean _we_ climbed off the roof at midnight-"

"I'm not used to it either really. Leaving everyone," John cut him off. "I know I act like I don't care but…" he shrugged. "Strangely, at times all your company is the only company I seem to be able to tolerate."

Gordon shook the camp bed as he chuckled. "What a _compliment._ " He paused and thought on the words. "Really?"

"Hmm."

"You really need some friends Johnny," Scott's amused voice made them both flinch. John struggled to turn his head towards the eldest. He was pushed up by his elbow; chin resting on hand as he watched the both of them with a charmed smile. " _Apart_ from that old lady who lectures you on Tuesdays."

"Mildred is a very lovely person thank you very much," John grumbled, annoyed but not really surprised that Scott had woken up. "She even invited me over for a cup of tea."

"Wow, that'll be your first date in a while."

John glared at him. " _Scott._ "

Gordon cackled and practically pushed John over the edge of the stretcher. John reached a hand out to steady himself, but rather than meeting with ground, his hand landed on Virgil's shoulder. Like a vampire, Virgil's eyes flashed open at the touch. He tugged both earbuds out of his ears and glared at the second eldest.

"Blame Gordon," John whispered. He wasn't sure why he was whispering since everybody was awake, but it just felt appropriate. Now he _really_ felt like he was on school camp again, and Virgil was the angry teacher awoken by everyone's talking.

"Gordon? Wha- oh," Virgil spotted his brother as he said it. Groaning, he closed his eyes again. "I should have known you'd be here."

"I was the only victim alive so he latched onto me," John muttered, only just realizing he still had his arm around his younger brother. Oh well, it was comfortable there, a little longer wouldn't hurt. Gordon graced them with an evil grin.

"We were just discussing John's new girlfriend, Mildred," Scott said casually. The gleam in his eye instantly told John where and what he was aiming for with that statement. _Girlfriends. Nice Scotty._

" _Mildred?_ " Virgil's face twisted. He looked as though he was about to say something mean, then scolded himself for doing so. Classic Virgil. Too nice to insult someone he hadn't met yet. Instead he came out with, "Oh I didn't realise you…you didn't say…err…is she nice?"

"She's sixty eight, very nice, and already happily married," John replied bluntly. "So in essence, not my girlfriend. Scott's just a jerk."

"Ah," Virgil smiled tentatively. "That I can agree with."

"I am _not_. Gords, back me up here?"

Gordon pretended to stumble. "Err…um…well…I guess I could say that erm…uh no. Oh look, have you noticed what nice weather we're having?"

Virgil let out a small laugh. Scott's eyes lit up in delight, dimples appearing as he smiled. "You're such a brat, you all are. Alright, so we know John's happily married to his college degree, but what about you Virg? How's this Lizzie going?"

Gordon's small intake of breath hinted that he too was now aware of the plan. _Nice segway there, Scott._ Virgil fidgeted with the earphones he still held in his hands, toying with the idea of putting them back in his ears. Then he laughed a self-deprecating laugh and shook his head. "What is this? Slumber party 101?"

Scott shrugged indifferently and lay back down. "I'm just interested, that's all."

"Well then…she's fine I guess."

"Fine? You guess?"

Virgil rubbed at the back of his neck, shuffling uncomfortably in his sleeping bag. "Well she's…she's going to study in England. I'm not. So…yeah…maybe not so fine."

John swore he heard a _good riddance_ slip from Gordon's mouth.

Scott made the appropriate sympathetic noises, even though he already knew all of this. "Sorry man. That's tough; she doesn't know what she's leaving. But hey, at least you'll be unattached when starting colleg-"

" _Stop_." Virgil threw out a hand. "Can we _not_ talk about college? _Please_? I'd really rather not. In fact, I'd rather sleep. Can we do that?"

Scott narrowed his eyes. John was all for going to sleep and letting things lie, but unfortunately had an unwanted passenger in his bed. That passenger sighed and moved closer to his brother, so much so that his hair was practically in the John's mouth. "You're no fun Virg," Gordon muttered.

"Since when is college talk _fun_ for you?" Virgil snapped.

"Virg," John warned softly.

"No, since when did you want to talk about it? Since when did _any_ of you want to talk about it? I've had to do this all on my _own._ Now when _I_ don't want to talk about it, all of you _do_? That's not fair."

Scott's eyebrows drew together. "Just because we weren't coming home didn't mean we weren't going to talk about it-"

"Really? It kind of felt like it. You were supposed to be _helping_ me but you can't because you're not around. You're never around anymore and I hate it-"

"And soon that will be _you_ , I know." Scott interrupted casually. Unaffected by Virgil's words, he did that 'all knowing look' which irritated John to no end. His next statement came out of nowhere, "I was scared when I left too bud. It's ok to be nervous-"

"I'm not _scared_ ," Virgil sat up, body rigid. John had absolutely no idea where Scott had pulled that from, but if Scott 'knew' then he really did _know_. So John just kept quiet, as he usually did through conversations between these two. Gordon opened his mouth to say something and with quick reflexes John reached his free hand over and covered it.

"I remember I threw out so many of my college applications," Scott continued as though he hadn't heard Virgil at all. "For _weeks_ I wasn't sending them out with the excuse that they 'weren't good enough' or that I 'wouldn't get in'. Really I was just doing it because I was scared to leave home. Same with the college visits. It made it final, you know? It's only natural to be scared—"

"I'm _not_ scared!"

"—because when you're at college, nobodies around. You think you're doing this all alone now? Just wait till you get there. It's _good_ though, once you get used to it."

"I'm _not_ worried about that-"

"You can always call though, I'm sure Dad would appreciate that. Of course Gords would visit, and we would too-"

"Yeah!" Gordon licked John's hand to get it away from his mouth. John made a disgusted noise and pulled away, almost pushed off the stretcher again at Gordon's enthusiastic reply. "I'll come visit that would be _fun._ "

"See?" Scott smiled gently at his brother. "We'll still be there."

Virgil's shoulders drooped. He drew his knees towards his chest, filling the tent with the noise of ruffled sleeping bag material. "I don't even know if I want to _go_ ," he whispered, too tired to stay in denial mode much longer. "I'm so used to everyone being around, how am I supposed to handle being on my own? Maybe…maybe I could just go to one nearby instead?"

Gordon's head shot up at this. He studied Virgil as though seeing him in an entirely different light. The younger also looked overly eager about this idea. John was unsurprised by the revelation and was more concerned that his arm was growing numb. It was a big change, of course he was scared.

Scott rolled his eyes fondly. "Virg you've had your heart set on Denver for months now."

"Yeah but I haven't even got _in_ yet-"

"But you _will_ ," Scott said it with such confidence and affection that there was no denying how much he believed that. "Once you start there, you'll love it. Trust me. All this anger and frustration – it's just nerves."

Virgil's hands went limp and he stared down at his feet. "I guess so…" he hesitated. "I wish you were staying longer so you could…I don't know…"

"We've got more days here don't we?"

"Hey, I'm here too. I can give you tips." John finally spoke up. Both Scott and Virgil only just seemed to recall that they weren't alone. Gordon snickered at his forgotten brother. John 'accidentally' kicked him in the knee.

"Yeah but yours isn't exactly the _'typical_ ' college experience, is it?" Scott teased.

John glared at his older brother. "Early nights, straight A's and tea with professors sounds better than passing out in the street and almost going to jail-"

"That was _one_ time."

"I'm going to need the story behind that one," Gordon leant over John and laughed as both his brothers collectively groaned.

Scott shifted his eyes from side to side and lowered his voice. "I don't know if I can trust you, you almost gave away my other adventures to Dad tonight…"

"Come on Scott – I covered for you! You totally owe me this."

"Alright _fine,_ " Scott looked a little too pleased to be sharing this story. John rolled his eyes. He had heard it so many times it felt like he was actually there at the time. Virgil too looked intrigue, and had shifted his body to face his brother. Smile still wary but a little more genuine, John figured that _maybe_ this had all been a good idea after all. "So, it was the fourth day of orientation week…"

ooooo

There had been no sign of a storm before they set out. In fact, the sky had looked calm, with only a few clouds dotted around. Gordon had thanked the weather gods that—after such a horrid night—they would be allowed some form of sunlight.

Neither Jeff nor Alan had noticed Gordon's absence the night before. Once he'd been kicked out by John, he returned to the tent in the early hours of the morning with a whole lot more knowledge about his older brother.

They spent the early morning around the campsite. Gordon had been trying to organize maps and food with Alan—though the younger soon got bored of this duty and bounced away to annoy John. Virgil and Scott lazed about in the fleeting sun like old bachelors, chatting about girls and the future. Gordon was pleased to see that Virgil was finally joining in. Jeff on the other hand, was pretending to read, when they all knew he was secretly doing work.

Eventually Gordon had got restless and ordered everyone towards the hiking trail. So off the six of them went without a care in the world—well maybe John had a few cares—if only Gordon had remembered that _nothing_ went as planned on these sorts of outings.

It had just started to rain again when Jeff and Gordon neared the end of their race. Gordon was racing through the woods like a doe, kicking up leaves and dirt as he went. Jeff, puffing tiredly, tried to catch up, but was no match for Gordon's swimmer endurance skills. Yes, those worked on dry land too.

Gordon rammed his hand against the tall oak tree they'd agreed to stop at, and whirled around with a victorious expression. "Woo! You're losing your touch, old man."

"Oh yeah?" Jeff gasped for air, having to place one hand on the tree for support. "Well…my pack is _definitely_ heavier than yours. It weighed me down."

"Oh _sure_. All you're carrying is the food!"

"Exactly! There's a lot of it."

"I'm sure you've had plenty on the way here."

Jeff hit his son's arm playfully. "Hey Mr. I'm guarding it from a certain hungry teenager who'd eat everything if he could."

"At least I work it off."

"Are you implying something?"

Gordon grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. "Not at all dad, you're beautiful."

Jeff gave a rough chuckle as he started to regain his breath back. "That's the truth if ever I heard it." He held out a hand, confirming that it was rain he was feeling and not spit. "Oh great, this is going to make John's day."

"Don't let it _dampen_ your spirits," Gordon nudged his father with a wink.

Jeff groaned but couldn't deny Gordon's infectious optimism. "You're right; a little bit of water never hurt anyone. The others will no doubt complain whether it's rain or shine. Let's wait for them to catch up."

"Let's just wait for you to catch your breath you mean."

" _Cheeky_."

Gordon smirked and stared down the trail they had just raced up. There was an echo of Alan's laughter from further down it, followed by what sounded like a grumble. Gordon looked back toward his father with a curious expression. "Dad can I ask you something?"

Jeff raised a wary eyebrow. "…sure."

"Did you purposefully book a trip over Virgil's college visits?"

" _What?_ No, of course not. Why would I do that?"

"It's just that I remember when it was Scott's turn to go to college and you had all those meetings in London. Then during John's summer I'm pretty sure you were called back to New-"

Jeff held up a hand. " _None_ of those were intentional."

" _Really?_ "

Pausing, he contemplated it for a moment. "Well, maybe subconsciously…but can you blame me? You're all growing up too fast."

Snorting, Gordon shook his head. It had never even crossed his mind until the night before that Virgil was _afraid_ of leaving home. It also hadn't really crossed his mind that he, Gordon invincible Tracy, would miss him a lot. They were definitely going to have to talk about that. "So we're all in the same boat then…"

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

Jeff studied him for a moment but said nothing further.

" _One,"_ Scott called loudly as he burst through the trees. He had leaves and sticks scattered through his hair and a giggling Alan beneath one arm.

Virgil followed behind them, arms crossed, face lit up with reserved enjoyment. "Two…" he said slowly, eyeing Gordon with amusement.

"Three!" Alan ducked out of Scott's arm and skidded towards Gordon and his father. "I found four! We didn't lose him!"

"Hey I'm supposed to say it," Gordon nudged his little brother's arm. Clearing his throat, he put on his best posh accent and announced, " _Four_ is accounted for."

They all paused and waited for John's reply. They didn't get it however, instead they got a silent figure, his white shirt splashed with mud and wet pine needles. Nothing about John looked amused about his current situation. A drop of rain splashed down the side of his face when he opened his mouth. Shutting it again, he just glared at Gordon.

"Looks like Five fell over again," Gordon quipped.

"You know that thing I said about fratricide? I'm very near to committing it."

Gordon burst into laughter while the others looked on in confusion. Alan tugged at his father's sleeve and pulled him to start walking again. "Come on guys! I'm hungry; we have to find a place to eat."

"But…it's… _raining_?" John said. Everybody ignored him. Scott flung a lazy arm around Virgil's shoulder and they walked away like a couple of stumbling students. Gordon skipped over to John and offered him a sympathetic smile. John apparently took the bait, warily agreeing to walk beside him.

He was right to be wary however, because, at first opportunity, Gordon pushed him into the nearest bush.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hi guys, last chapter all done! Thanks to Sarah for suggesting a wonderful idea for this chapter, it was a lovely addition and I really enjoyed writing it. Thanks for all the support and encouraging comments! x_

 _ooooo_

The picnic hadn't quite turned out as expected. In his relatively short life however, Gordon had learnt that even if things didn't turn out the way they were planned, it didn't mean they couldn't be fun. Even more so if you had brothers around.

The rain had killed any plans to have a relaxing afternoon at the end of the hiking trail. They could barely even see the picturesque view they were promised, and had nowhere to sit and enjoy it anyway. Instead, they were forced to take refuge in a barbeque shelter situated along the way. It ruined the sense of escaping the man-made and heading back to nature. But in the end, nobody really cared because it was _dry._ The six of them had bunched up at one of the tables and squabbled over what was left of the dry food.

Jeff wanted to wait out the worst of the rain and, _luckily_ , Scott had brought cards. What started out as an innocent game of Snap merged into an overly enthusiastic round of Go Fish on Gordon's part. Then an attempt at Five Hundred turned murderous as Alan failed to win any points. After the youngest had crossed his arms and refused to play out of hurt dignity, John gathered the cards together and started playing Patience on his own.

Scott was begrudgingly left to entertain his younger brothers with more games. Gordon, in one of his strokes of genius, decided on charades. It was a melodramatic, argumentative, and rather hilarious hour that even drew Virgil and Jeff into its theatrical clutches. Gordon won of course, with an extra special rendition of a 'raccoon making biscuits'. He _always_ won charades. Usually because his options were far too obscure for anyone to actually guess. The others had come close though. The highlights consisted of Alan pretending to be an ant, Virgil doing ballet, Scott undertaking an invisible limbo, and Jeff giving an all too accurate impression of John.

John had continued to play Patience on his own, but every time Gordon looked up at him, he was watching them all with a small smile.

Eventually, the rain had eased moderately, and they made the decision to set off back toward the campsite. Gordon decided to fill the trip back with his lovely, melodic singing. Apparently— even after half an hour of it—the others were still unimpressed. _"There's no banana in the sky, in the sky. There's no banana in the sky. There's a sun, and a moon, and a coconut cream pie, but there's no banana in the sky, in the sky-"_

"Gordon!" This cry of outrage was echoed by all three older brothers and father. Alan was just humming the tune.

"My ears are _bleeding_ ," Virgil called from his position at the front of the group. "Camp songs are bad enough…but when _you_ sing them?"

Gordon didn't miss a beat. "You're just jealous you're not this musically talented."

At Virgil's bark of laughter, Gordon cleared his throat and started off on the second verse. Scott threw his arms in the air in defeat and joined in. They were all very wet, very tired, and pretty fed up with squelching through mud, but Gordon's endearing enthusiasm was nothing if not motivating.

"Alan don't get to close to the-" Jeff's voice halted the song. His eyes had traveled toward where Alan was walking on the river bank. He regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth because of the fact they startled the youngest. With one innocent and far too curious step, Alan slipped forward and tumbled down the bank. " _Edge!_ Alan!"

Instantly, four older brothers halted in their tracks and watched as Alan slipped into the river. To his credit, he didn't scream, he just slid directly into the path of the swollen water with a startled yelp.

"Al!" Scott was the first to try and tear his shirt off in a frantic state. Virgil followed quickly in pulling off his shoes, both instantly leapt into panic mode at the sight of a fallen brother. To them, the river was a furious monster ready to swallow him whole. To Gordon however, it was as safe as the land. Plus, they were overreacting.

As _usual._

It _was_ wider than it had been yesterday, flowing swift and strong. The water had turned a muddy brown from eroding banks that it usually didn't touch. Branches were blown in by the wind and the rain pitted its surface so thickly that the radiating ripples canceled one another out.

John held his arms out expectantly; as calm as always. They rolled their eyes in sync at the panic brothers. Gordon whipped the pack off his back, flung it into John's awaiting arms, and with a cry of "I've got it," he ran toward the bank, too quick for anyone to stop. Gordon was already wet from the rain; he may as well just let the rest of him get soaked through too.

There were even more cries of panic from behind him. Gordon ignored them. He bent his knees and slid down the grass into the water. Its cold touch was a shock, but not unwelcome. Expecting something deep and furious, Gordon got the exact opposite. The water barely even reached his hips and all it did was swirl calmly around him. Frowning, Gordon looked down, and then back up, realizing that the short moment of panic he felt was all for _nothing._

Alan was sat down on the stony riverbed chuckling as the water swirled around his chest. Mud was coursed all down his arms and back from the slip. He looked up at Gordon with an abashed smile. "Oops…"

Gordon snorted, any sense of panic washed away. "You're such an idiot," he reached a hand out towards his brother to help him up. Alan grabbed it and rose; clothes sodden, just in time to be greeted by the rest of the family peering anxiously over the bank. All of their faces morphed from fear to frowns in a heartbeat. Except for John, who simply remarked, "well that was anticlimactic."

"Yup, false alarm," Gordon called cheerily, enjoying the sensation of water eddying at his legs. "Apparently Al can swim."

"I didn't have to swim Gordy; it only came up to my hips," Alan stated proudly. He was unfazed by the fact he'd just slipped down a bank, but then again, he did think he was invincible most of the time. "But I _can_ swim; you know I've been taking lessons again."

"Not as well as me."

"No…probably _better,_ " he stuck his chin in the air. Gordon appreciated his enthusiasm for the sport but nobody could come close to rivalling Gordon in that area. He trialed for the _Olympics_ for heavens sakes. Alan just thought that was a big joke. "I can show you right now if you want."

"Oh yeah? Well-"

" _No_ Alan," Jeff called in exasperation. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he looked like he had aged a little more in the space of a few seconds. "Just…just get out of the river please."

Alan snorted at his father before wading forward, arm in arm with his closest brother. A small splashing war later, they reached the bank. "That was fun," the youngest said as Jeff helped him climb back up the grass hill. Virgil did the same for Gordon, practically flinging him up with unexpected strength.

"You're going to be the death of me Alan Tracy," Jeff grumbled in his 'I definitely should not be amused but I am' tone. "Look at you – now you're soaking."

"You'll catch a cold," Scott said warily, conveniently pulling his shirt back over his head. Like any older brother would he began digging in his own pack for a sweatshirt –because Alan hadn't thought that far ahead.

"Oh _now_ you care about us getting wet?" John remarked casually. He held out a hand to catch a couple of raindrops. " _Interesting_."

Gordon wriggled in amusement, mood not reduced at all by the short lived incident. "You know what John; I'm surprised it wasn't you that fell into the river."

John's eyes narrowed. "Sorry to disappoint."

"I wouldn't rule it out of the realm of possibilities," Virgil chimed in pleasantly. "We've still got another half hour to go."

"I might do it again," Alan said. Everybody groaned.

"No more falling in rivers," Jeff stated, grasping his youngest by the shoulders and swiveling him in the right direction. "We're going to go back to the tents and get nice and dry."

Everybody predicted John's reply. "How are we supposed to do that when the tents them _selves_ are wet?"

ooooo

John was right of course.

The tent which the three eldest brothers had been sharing was now completely soaked- _inside_ and out- so there was now just one that was still livable. They managed to salvage blankets and sleeping bags from the wet one, and were attempting to dry them out in the fleeting dash of late afternoon sun. Gordon had personally removed the stretcher beds from his, Jeff, and Alan's tent, and instead had created a roomier and more comfy environment inside.

They had approximately half an hour of sun before the rain clouds returned. Jeff had suggested that they cut the trip short and go home due to dismal prospects in the weather department. Gordon was worried that his brothers would be fed up by then too and agree, but with grins as wide as his, they took the wheel into their own hands for once.

Alan had pouted. "It's not _that_ bad…do we have to?"

Jeff glanced up at the others to gage reaction. "Well…we probably shouldn't risk staying in tents another night-"

"No come on," Virgil's protest had been least expected. Jeff's eyebrows practically flew off his face. "We have to stay, Gordy organized it after all, and…well it is rather fun."

Gordon grinned, internally beaming at his brother's support. "It would be weak to leave now! We're intrepid adventurers, and all that. Right dad?"

Jeff smiled and shook his head. He looked towards John. "Well, it seems we are outvoted on this one."

John narrowed his eyes. "My books are all wet, I really want a shower, and now we _might_ have to share the same tent…" Rolling his eyes at Gordon's pleading expression, he sighed. "But I _suppose_ I can stand it for one more night."

So now, they were all just bundled up inside the tent. It was a tight fit, but it was _warm._ Alan was practically sat on top of Scott, shrouded in blankets and happy at being pandered too. Virgil was squished closely next to the both of them, much more relaxed by his older brother's side. Jeff in turn, was in between Virgil and a reading John. Gordon –who of course, had to be a little different—lay luxuriously stretched out with his legs on John, much to his brother's annoyance, and his head by his father's lap. They were all quite a ruffled and disgruntled site, and Gordon absolutely _loved_ it.

With nothing else to do, they had been playing games again, but were soon growing tired of Scott's cards. _Nobody_ wanted to embark on more extreme charades when squished into a tent, so were pleasantly surprised when Scott introduced them to a new game. It was called the 'never have I ever game' and—according to John's eye roll—was a drinking game he'd learnt in college, not that he'd ever admit that out loud to Jeff.

Instead of having to drink this time, Scott substituted it to eating a marshmallow. This made Gordon want to lie on every question so he could eat them. Of course, the game was supposed to be pretty tame with Jeff and Alan around, it was also supposed to be played by people that _weren't_ related. Especially since they'd had a lot of the same life experiences.

"Never have I ever…" Virgil thought for a moment, completely run out of options for anything they hadn't done together. "Killed someone."

They all laughed. Gordon pretended to reach for the bag of marshmallows before drawing back. Jeff looked rather pleased to know that none of his children were murderers. "Thanks for clearing that up Virg."

Virgil nodded, completely straight faced.

Alan—not at all traumatized by his slip—hummed in thought before shouting, "Ooh I've got one! Never have I ever…" he giggled at himself for thinking of something he thought was funny. "Failed an exam."

Alan made a low _oohing_ noise as Scott, Gordon, and – much to the shock of his son's—Jeff, all reached forward. Jeff shrugged at them, amused by how stunned they were. "I didn't care much for geometry in those days. I can't say your Grandmother was very happy however."

Scott nodded, mouth full of marshmallow. "It was only one…or maybe three, I can't remember now. They weren't the important ones of course."

"Mine were boring." Gordon added, grinning up at his father who safely decided on saying nothing. It had only been this year after all. Ah well, he'd been busy with more important things, like training and…well, anything that _wasn't_ math.

"Never have I ever…" Gordon started before being struck by a rather ingenious idea, "been to _jail_."

Scott's face went from delighted smile to death stare in about three seconds. John nearly dropped the book he was holding and Virgil couldn't help but let out a short laugh.

Jeff, concerned by these reactions, was thankfully distracted as the shrill sound of his cellphone rang through the tent. Scott deflated in relief. " _Dad…_ " Gordon groaned, mostly because it wasn't the first time that his phone had rung that day. "We said _no_ work."

"Just…" Jeff held up a finger and stumbled to get it from his pocket. "Give me a second. It's an unusual time of day to call, might be an emergency…oh," sounding surprised at whoever calling, Jeff brought the phone to his ear and answered. "Jeff Tracy speaking…:" Gordon assumed it was about this special project he was working on.

That assumption was dashed as Jeff's eyes flickered toward Gordon. "Why yes…any particular reason? _What?_ Ah, hold on a minute…" Jeff cleared his throat and stumbled his way toward the exit. Miming that he would be back soon, he left the tent.

Gordon cringed and pushed himself into sitting position. Crossing one leg over the other he fidgeted nervously. The only reasons his father ever got phone calls about him were bad ones, usually to do with school.

"Uh oh Gordy's in trouble again," Alan sang. The youngest looked far too pleased about the idea. Gordon stuck his tongue out at him.

"What did you do now?" Virgil asked curiously. His eyes shifted upward in thought as he tried to recall any chaos that had been caused in the last week of school. "It might be about chemistry."

"What?" Gordon waved the suggestion away. "No way! I didn't mean to melt that test tube, it just happened. Besides school is over now, why would they ring now?"

"Because it's _you,_ " John replied quietly, eyes ungluing from the pages of his book only for a brief second.

Gordon was about to debate this unwarranted claim when Jeff called him outside. Gordon grimaced but did as he was told, moving out into the brisk dusk air. To his surprise, he wasn't greeted with an angry father at all. Jeff looked a little paler, but the smile that stretched across his face was one of adoration and pride. "I think you better answer this one…" he whispered, eyes bursting with knowledge that he wanted to share. He handed the phone over to his son. "It's Coach Dougherty."

Gordon froze and stared at the phone. Dots of rain fell onto the screen. _His coach? Why would he be ringing now?_ Gordon didn't have any more competitions for two weeks, and he was all but done with _trials._ Maybe it was about changing their session times? If it was, then why would he ring _now?_ Nothing that big was coming up unless…unless it was about…

Hands trembling, Gordon gently took the phone into his hand. "Hey Coach," he said, trying to force his voice to sound cheery, but it just came out as a whisper. It's not _. It's not. It couldn't be. Don't get your hopes up._

"Hello Gordon," the rough yet lyrical Irish accent of his swim coach crackled through the air. "I just got a call from the NOC-" Instantly Gordon brought the phone back down and held it against his chest. Heart drumming, he just shook his head. _NOC._ National Olympic Committee. _No_ , _no, no…_ this wasn't happening.

Jeff chuckled and placed an encouraging hand on Gordon's shoulder. "Go on…"

Gordon shook his head at his father, eyes wide. He didn't want to hear. _No_ , he did want to hear. But he couldn't pick it up. This wasn't supposed to happen, not _yet_ , not now. But it was all he ever wanted, all he'd been working _for_ … Jeff gently grasped his son's wrist and guided it back to his ear.

His coach had continued talking. "- of course it _was_ your personal best when you won nationals, we already knew that. We'll have to pick up more training sessions and focus on your butterfly. It's going to be hard on you, but you've got the stamina, you knew how busy it would get if you got in." There was a pause and all that was heard was Gordon's breathing.

"The…Olympics?" he whispered down the phone, hand shaking by his ear. _Was that what he was saying?_

"Aye, that's the one lad," His coach sounded vaguely amused. "I did have a sneaking suspicion of course, I knew you qualified with that time; it just needed to be confirmed. But listen, I don't want you to expect anything too high. There will be other competitors that will be twice your age and more experienced. You're not the youngest mind you; we had a fourteen year old once. Just, what I'm trying to say is, its achievement enough just getting in. Ok? Gordon? You still there?"

Gordon couldn't find the words to speak. They were there, all bundled up in an overwhelming clog of gut clenching nerves and elation. It was all _stuck_ in his throat. _He hadn't expected this._ He knew he'd done well, _really_ well but _still_ …It came out of _nowhere._ Gordon had been so preoccupied with Virgil and the rest of his family, he'd practically forgotten about himself. The voice of his coach began to blur out as Gordon's mind went into shock. He felt the phone taken out of his hand. Words were spoken but his mind wasn't on the same level as them, it was on another plain, a euphoric state of disbelief and wonder.

Then Jeff grabbed him by the shoulders and squeezed tightly. "Are you alright? Do you need to sit down?"

Gordon broke out of his frozen state to shake his head. No, he didn't want to be _still_. He wanted to run, to scream, to leap in the air, to _swim._ Yes, swim. Right now, in the smattering of rain, just as the sun set behind the trees, that's all that he wanted.

But Jeff held him still. He shook his head in disbelief. "You did it. I can't believe this I just _can't._ That's _incredible_ son, you have _no_ idea how proud I am. Just…" he trailed off, running a hand through his hair.

Gordon allowed a tentative smile to flicker onto his face. It started to grow as the news settled in. _He had done it._ He'd swum harder and faster than he ever had before in those trials. Training every day, for months on _end_ , and now he'd done it. It had all payed off. Snapping out of his stance, Gordon threw his hands in the air, "I _did it,"_ he whispered, voice hoarse. "Dad, I _did_ it!"

Chuckling, Jeff pulled him into a hug and squeezed tightly. He held him there tightly as though in letting go Gordon would race around in his ecstasy. Well, he probably would. Over his sons shoulder, Jeff called out, "boys – I think you might want to come out here for a moment…"

The fact that Alan was the first to exit the tent probably meant he had been attempting to eavesdrop. He didn't look impressed at all, but just folded his arms across his chest in a childish manner. John took a little coaxing from the others to leave his comfy hovel and step back into the rain, but eventually they were all stood outside in confusion.

"What happened?" Scott asked, eyes darting between father and brother.

Gordon pulled away from Jeff and opened his mouth to say something. All of them were there, his whole family, and they all stared at him. It was a strange feeling to suddenly be nervous in front of the people he knew best. "I…" Fighting back tears, he laughed incredulously at himself and looked over at his father. "Well, I…"

Jeff clapped him on the shoulder in understanding, "We just had some news and well…I guess there's only one way to say it." He cleared his throat. "You're all looking at the newest qualifier for the 2056 _Olympic Games_."

At first, nobody seemed to understand what Jeff had said. Alan screwed up his nose and tilted his head, while Scott leant forward as though he hadn't heard right. John's expression remained unchanged. Virgil on the other hand, broke free from all his inhibitions, and was the most expressive Gordon had seen him all weekend. Both hands flung up to his head. His voice rose a few pitches, " _what?_ Are you serious?"

Gordon bit his lip and grinned. "Yeah Virg…"

" _No…_ "

"Yeah!"

 _"_ _Seriously?_ "

"Yes Virgil!"

"Are you – _what?_ " Virgil moved forward and, in one swoop, had encompassed his younger brother in a bear hug. He leant back and lifted him off the ground. "Since when – just _now?_ That's amazing? You're _amazing_ …how did that even happen?"

"I…don't _know,_ " Gordon gasped. "But I kinda need to breathe if I'm going to compete – Virg, let me _go!"_

Virgil just squeezed tighter. " _No._ I can't believe this."

" _Olympics_?" Scott laughed in amazement; smile as proud as their fathers. He looked in between them again to see if this was a joke. " _You?_ Gordon Tracy? _Next year?_ "

Gordon broke away from Virgil and beamed at his older brother. Speaking breathlessly, he couldn't tell whether the water on his cheeks was from the rain or not. "Yeah that's me…sounds a bit cooler than Air Force pilot, don't ya think?"

Scott laughed and reached forward to ruffle his brother's hair, "I won't argue with that! Man, you're a dark horse. Gordy, well done. I mean you're-"

"Does this mean you're gonna be famous?" Alan interrupted, blinking curiously. The full weight of the news hadn't exactly hit him yet…or perhaps it had and he wasn't that fussed. He already knew how good Gordon was at swimming, now the whole world might know, no big deal.

" _Priorities,_ " Gordon teased, sending a wink in Alan's direction. Well, he _would_ be on TV. That was one thing. On TV doing what he loved _best_. It wasn't even a thought that his mind wanted to comprehend yet.

Alan smiled sheepishly. "What? I'm just wondering! That's cool though Gords, maybe I'm not as good a swimmer as you yet. You're gonna get a medal."

 _That's cool_. Ah, it was the only word of praise any of them ever needed from the youngest. Gordon smiled at him. _A medal._ Gordon _could_ get a medal. No, he wasn't allowed to think about that yet. He just had to soak in the moment. Though it was a nice thought…"Let me guess," he looked towards John. "You somehow already knew?"

John shook his head. "No not at all. I'm just baffled over why they would let a twelve year old into the Olympics."

There was a pause. " _John,_ " Gordon burst into a river of laughter before punching his brother on the shoulder.

"Ok, ok," John held his arms up in defense, eyes glittering in amusement. He wrapped an arm around Gordons shoulder and pulled him close. "I'm _happy_ for you, I swear, this is _big._ I knew you could do it."

 _Big._ Yeah it was big. It was _huge_. Gordon's entire world had been shaken by one phone call, and how _perfect_ it was to have all his family around at the same time. Joy cursing through him, he jumped up and down on the spot, the only way he knew how to express what he was feeling.

"Stop –" Scott held out a hand towards him to keep him on the ground. "You're making me emotional. This is a lot to take in."

Gordon rolled his eyes. "A lot for _you_ to take in? What about _me?_ I'm going to have to train every day, and balance school, and then actually _get_ to the games. They're in London next year. I'll get to go with the whole swim team. Wow I've never been anywhere by myself yet-"

"Gordon slow down," Jeff chuckled. Behind the pride and love was a hint of sadness which Gordon didn't quite understand. But then again, maybe he did. Maybe they _were_ all growing up too fast. "We can figure all that out _later_ , for now, just be _proud_ that you got in. That's _huge._ "

Gordon nodded slowly, cheeks hurting from his smile. Looking around at his brothers, all watching him in wonder, Gordon couldn't quite believe his luck. He'd certainly have supporters at the games, that's for sure. "Yeah…yeah alright." He nudged his father. "Hey, be careful not to book a trip over the dates."

"Why would I-" Jeff frowned, recalling the earlier conversation. "Hmm…I'm a little less proud of you now."

Gordon chuckled and, even though they didn't understand, so did his brothers. His joy was contagious, smile filled with an electric spirit that touched anyone in its vicinity. Gordon _felt_ electric.

"Well, we need to celebrate somehow!" Scott suggested, clapping his hands together. He winked at his brother. "You deserve it bud."

Gordon and Alan's minds were on the same frequency. The youngest perked up. "With food?"

There was a lot of agreement to that suggestion. It was strange. Gordon thought he was happy before, surrounded by family, enjoying the trip. But now? It was a whole different level.

ooooo

It took a long time for excited talk of the Olympics to die down. Virgil had even suggested that they plan an entire family trip to London for the games, which was met with even more enthusiasm. Alan had pouted at the realization that he would be left at home with Grandma a lot if Gordon was so pre-occupied with training. Gordon sympathized with him on that, having felt the exact same way about Virgil leaving. Gordon felt he understood his brother a little more now. It was a vicious cycle for those left behind, an exciting one for those leaving.

Once everyone had calmed down, they drifted to their own space. Alan and Scott embarked on the twenty seventh game of snap played that weekend. The youngest had got over his momentary blues with promises of getting to see pictures of Scott's plane when they got home. John curled up quietly in a corner with his book. Jeff joined him; and every now and again they would mention something to one another, or point out a line of description they enjoyed. At one point Gordon had looked up to see both sets of eyes trained on him as they talked quietly together.

Gordon pretended not to notice, but the appreciation they suddenly had about his hard work was breathtaking. It was no longer just a _hobby_. The joy and pride it had sprung from all of them was almost better than the actual news itself. Virgil had sidled his way towards Gordon, and now they sat shoulder to shoulder. Virgil pulled a blanket over to cover both of their legs.

"You doing ok?" Gordon asked quietly, Alan's loud laughter and calls of _'snap_ ' every second giving them enough cover for a private conversation.

"Am _I_ doing ok?" Virgil chuckled. "Gords stop thinking of _me,_ and everyone else _._ I'm _fine._ You just got into the Olympics _._ The real question is, are you doing ok?"

Gordon chuckled and gave a short nod. "Yeah, I think so. Well, I'm _more_ than ok. It hasn't really sunk in yet. Pun intentional."

"That was terrible."

"Thank you."

"But I mean…it's scary too," Gordon offered quietly. "The Olympics are… _mind-blowing_ to me. Something I thought I'd dream but never really reach."

Virgil grunted, "Well, you _did._ No one's prouder than me, because I've had to suffer though driving you to practice, and all your training _woes._ " Gordon snorted. He supposed that was true. Virgil _had_ always been there for him. Perhaps that was why he was so afraid of him leaving. "You know what," Virgil sighed and nudged Gordon affectionately with his shoulder. "If you – sixteen year old, annoying, clingy _you_ –can go to the Olympics, then I'm pretty sure I can handle College. Right?"

Gordon nodded. "Right, and if you — eighteen year old, quiet, introspective you—can handle College, I can manage the Olympics. It seems we have an agreement."

"You'll come visit of course."

"Yeah, and you'll come watch the Games."

"Deal?"

"Deal."

There was a pause as they just enjoyed one another's silent company, watching as Alan 'won' another round. They could all see Scott was purposefully losing, but he was like that with Al.

"Dad's going to book another appointment to Denver," Virgil glanced warmly towards their father, who was now engrossed in space debate with John.

"Is he now…" Gordon grinned. "Just make sure he doesn't put any other trip over it again."

Virgil narrowed his eyes. "You make it sound like he did it on purpose."

"…hmm do I?" Gordon smiled but said nothing more. That was good guilt material against his father if he ever needed to use it. Honestly, he probably _would_ need it eventually.

"…It won't be so bad, will it?" Virgil asked slowly, engrossed in his own thoughts. "I mean, it's not _that_ far away."

"Nah," Gordon waved him away. "And you'll come home for breaks. It will be like nothing ever changed."

Virgil nodded like he believed him. But things _were_ changing, probably for the better. They were all growing up, and now Gordon felt he had a responsibility to grow up too. _The Olympics._ A real _athlete_ , that's what he was becoming. It was _madness_ , insanity. He was the Tracy that couldn't sit still for a second, that found it hard to focus, but _now_ this?

"Thanks for this weekend Gords," Virgil said softly. "I did need it I just…I didn't _see_ that."

"I know," Gordon lay his head on his brother's shoulder. "You're gonna be fun for the rest of the summer now right? No more door slamming?"

"…I can't promise anything."

"That's alright; I'll just leave you up to John."

Virgil chuckled. Gordon sighed tiredly as the effort of convincing, organizing, and walking finally decided to catch up on him. Receiving the news of his life had heightened everything he was feeling. He felt a little less afraid knowing Virgil was leaving, because in a way, he was leaving too. Gordon had purpose now, a supported _purpose,_ just like the older boys.

Strangely though, he found more comfort in knowing his brother was happy. It was just disguised behind nerves. Nerves that Gordon didn't think he'd understand, but with one phone call he'd been very enlightened on that prospect. At the moment his nerves were muffled by excitement, but further down the line they'd unveil themselves. Scott had told him once that the best things could be born out of fear. Gordon expected that both he and Virgil would find that out very soon. But for now, he would enjoy the moment. Because he wasn't sure how many moments they would have like this in the future.

Who was he kidding, if Gordon was around, they would always have moments like this. Bringing the family back together was his job after all, even if absolutely everybody was reluctant. Gordon had his ways, and he always would.

ooooo


End file.
